Suction cleaner



March 29, 1938. D. 1 GLASS SUCTION CLEANER Filed March 9, 1936 Patented Mar. Z9, 1938 SUCTION CLEANER David L. Glass, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application March 9, 1936, Serial No. 67,885

6 Claims.

This invention relates to suction cleaners in general and more particularly to new and novel improvements in agitating means for a suction cleaner. More specifically the invention comprises an improved brush and brush mounting construction for a suction cleaner agitator.

The modern suction cleaner cleans by air and by surface agitation. The surface agitation is commonly obtained by use of a rotary agitator embodying rigid beater elements and ilexible brush elements. These brush elements gradually wear down with use and necessitate either replacement or adjustment. A preferred type of agitator embodies a brush element which is reversible to compensate for bristle wear. Springs are provided in the agitator brush seat which retain the brush element at its maximum radial extension. In the second or worn brush position the spring will be more expanded resulting in a different and reduced spring pressure upon the brush element. This variation in spring pressure is undesirable and often results in a loose, noisy brush. In the agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention, the new and novel brush and brush seat arrangement prevents difference in spring pressure with the brush in its reversed position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved agitator for a suction cleaner.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rotary agitator embodying adjustable brush elements.

Still another object is the provision of an agitator comprising a brush seat in which is seated a brush element which is spring-pressed into working position.

Still another object is the provision of a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner in which is provided a brush seat adapted to seat reversibly a removable brush element which is so constructed that spring pressure upon the brush element is constant in all of its positions.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following speciiication and claims, and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed:

Figure 1 is a front view of a suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention with a, portion of the nozzle wall broken away and showing an agitator embodied therein;

Figure 2 is a partial longitudinal cross section through an agltatorconstructed in accordance with the present invention showing the removable and reversible brush element;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the brush element in the reversed position;

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of the brush element per se.

Referring again to the drawing, a modern suction cleaner is illustrated in which the body of the machine comprises a main casting I which includes a nozzle 2 and a motor casing 3 and is movably supported upon wheels 4-4 etc. A 15 pivoted handle 5 provides means by which the user can propel the machine. Within the body of the cleaner are various Working parts characteristic of this type of machine but which do not directly relate to the present invention. There is, however, a fan chamber E therein which houses a suction creating fan l carried by the rotatable motor shaft 8 which extends downwardly through the fan chamber. Within the nozzle 2, in a common and well known manner, is positioned a rotary agitator 9 which is suitably connected to the shaft 3 by a power-transmitting belt Ill.

Agitator 9 comprises a hollow cylindrical body II rotatably mounted upon a longitudinally extending through-supporting shaft I2 and formed centrally with a reduced pulley surface I3. The ends of body I I are protected by stationary thread guards, of which one is indicated at III, carried by the stationary shaft I2.

Upon the surface of the agitator 9 is provided a rigid longitudinally extending rigid beater element I5 and circumferentially spaced from this element are one or more brush-seating channels i6 each of -which is adapted to seat removably a 40 brush element. The opposite ends of each channel I6` are open, the top of the inner end in each case being defined by a shoulder or stop I'Ia while the outer end in each case is dened by a central shoulder or stop IIb and two side shoulders IIc, only one of the shoulders I'Ic being 4shown in Figures 2 and 3. The height of shoulder Ila is midway between shoulders IIb and Ilc.

Within the channel is seated a brush comprising a rigid back I8 in which are mounted flexible bris- 50 ties I9. The back also is provided at its opposite ends with shoulders, a narrow shoulder at one end being indicated at 20 and a wider and lower shoulder at the opposite end being indicated at 2 I.

The difference in height between brush shoul- 5 ders 20 and 2| is equal to the difference between shoulders lla and I'lb, or ila and llc.

When the brush is new and the bristle length is maximum, the unit should be positioned within its seat i6 as illustrated in Figure 2, that is, with the shoulder 20 underlying shoulder Ila. The shoulder 2l at the opposite end of the brush back froml shoulder 20 is seated under the lower shoulders llc. When so positioned the brush back is level and is spaced from the bottom of channel I6 being urged upwardly, or radially outward, against the contacted shoulders ila and Hc by the two arms 23 and 24 of a iiat leaf spring 22 which extend longitudinally of the channel.

Between its ends and on its under side brush back I8 is provided with a downwardly extending shoulder or abutment 25 positioned a short distance from its outer end, with the brush in its new brush position, and with a second downwardly extending shoulder or abutment 26 exactly at its opposite or inner end. These abutments have a height equal to one half the difference in height between shoulders Ilb and I'Ic, That is, equal to the diierence in height between shoulders 2B and 2|.` Arm 24 of the leaf spring is curved upwardly beyond abutment 25 as illustrated in Figure 2 so that the two arms of the spring 22 contact the brush back i8 at the same distance above the bottom of the brush channel and at the sides of the abutments described.

With the brush in the reversed, or worn brush position, as illustrated in Figure 3, shoulder 2| seats under seat shoulder l'la while narrow shoulder 2D extends up under central shoulder I'lb.A

Each end of the brush has moved radially outward one-half the distance separating shoulders Hb and llc. In this new position the extremities of the spring arms 23 and 24 contact the bottom of abutments 25 and 2S of the brush back. As the height of each abutment is equal to the increment by which the brush has been raised or moved radially outward in the channel, it is obvious that the spring arms 23 and 24 are in the same position and are exed to the same extent as in the new brush position illustrated in Figure 2.

The brush back may be channeled centrally on its under side, as illustrated in Figure 4, in which event the abutments 25 and 26 are in reality a pair of spaced abutments. They function as single abutments, however, for the spring arms 23 and 24 extend across the brush back and Contact both sides of each abutment.

The removable brush element is inserted in the agitator channel, removed from the channel, and again inserted inthe reversed position, in a manner common to this type of agitator. To accomplish this operation it is necessary only to depress one end of the brush back by means of a tool, such as a screw driver, urge it longitudinally of the channel whereupon the opposite end of the brush back becomes disengaged from the overlying shoulder or stop of the channel and moves outwardly permitting the entire removal of the brush. The insertion of the brush is exactly the reverse operation.

I claimt' l. In combination, a body having an elongated seat, a surface cleaning element removably positioned in said seat and adapted to be reversed end for end, pairs of cooperating stops so positioned on said body and element as to vary the extension of said element from the bottom of said seat in the reversed positions, spring means urging said element to retain said pair of stops in contact, and abutments on said element to contact said spring means in one position of said element.

2. In combination, a body having an elongated seat, a surface cleaning element removably positioned in said seat and adapted to be reversed end for end, means upon said body and element to determine the extension of said element from the bottom of said seat, said element extending to different points in the reversed positions. spring means urging said element against said means and toward or from which said element is movable, and abutments upon said element so positioned as to contact said spring in one position to compensate for the movement of said ele l ment from said spring upon reversal and to maintain substantially the force exerted by said spring means.

3. In combination, a body having an elongated seat, a surface cleaning element removably positioned in said seat and adapted to be reversed end to end to vary the height of said element from the bottom of said seat, means determining the position of said element in said seat in the reversed positions, resilient means contacting said element and urging the latter outwardly in said seat, said element being spaced at different distances from nsaid resilient means in the reversed positions but being so contoured as to effect contact with said resilient means at substantially the same levels in the reversed positions.

4. In combination, a body having an elongated seat, a surface cleaning element adjustable in said seat to vary the extension of saidelement relative to said body, spring means urging said element outwardly relative to said body, said element being positioned closer to, or farther from, said spring means upon adjustment, said element being formed with spring-contacting surfaces of different extensions so contoured as to contact said spring means at the same height in said seat to effect a constant deflection in said spring in the. various positions of said element.

5. In combination, a body having an elongated seat, a surface contacting removable element adapted to be seated reversibly end for end in said body, spring means on said body contacting said element at spaced points, and spring-contacting surfaces formed on the underside of said element and adapted to contact said spring means in reversed positions of said element and of such extensions as to maintain constant forcecharacteristics in said spring means.

6. In a suction cleaner rotary agitator, a body, an elongated brush seat in said body, spring means in the bottom of said seat, a brush element including a reversible end for end rigid back seated in said seat and prevented from displacement by overlying means on said body, said back being positioned at diierent heights in said seat in the reversed positions, and spring, means contacting portions at diierent heights on said back adapted to contact selectively said spring means in the reversed positions of said brush to maintain constant spring force on said back.

DAVID L. GLASS. 

